by Kat | Apr 15, 2020 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
This week there was a good bit of unraveling. Sigh. Yep, I almost gave up on Romi’s Mystery Shawl (the top green “blob” above). Clue two is a real challenge! (Or perhaps the challenge was that Pear Martini + intricate lace knitting = a colossally bad idea) However, I stayed the course, ripped back, picked up the correct number of stitches (which was a miracle in itself!) and tried again. I have completed the first repeat of chart one, and will continue working through the chart later today.
I have finished clue one of Larissa Brown’s Lunar Mystery knit (The stripey half-circle above) and I am in love! It was a joy to knit and she teased us with some hints for this week’s clue and I.can’t.wait!
I also finished a pair of socks (who on earth am I???) Yep, Coopknits Mystery Socks are done and I love them. The fit is great and there was just enough patterning to be more than just plain socks!
If you have been following my 100 Day Project on IG, you might be thinking, well that’s all kinds of boring. But I am happy to say that what is in my head is flowing nicely into my stitches. I have two corners almost completed and will begin on the other side shortly. Working from the “outside” of my linen to the inside seemed to make the most sense. So look for some more interesting bits coming up!
I am back to slow and steady with my reading, so only one (brilliant) finish this week. And while this might not be a book for everyone, it certainly made me stop and think.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
They say nothing lasts forever but they’re just scared it will last longer than they can love it.
Haunting, poignant writing. I listened to the author read his story, and I think that helped me stay engaged with this, at times, very painful story. If you have read Vuong’s poetry, his writing will be very familiar. This felt more like poetry than it did a novel, and that is not a negative statement… the writing was just so beautiful.
I have to say, I love that Goodreads has been providing lots of reading inspiration! This curated list has oodles and oodles of things on it! And it is incredibly handy for SAH Book Bingo! As you can see, I am making some progress on my card. I managed to fill in a number of books from last week on this card! And I am doing it a bit differently this year. I have printed off my bingo card, and am using it in conjunction with my Travelers Notebook™ and if when I move on to another card (cards) I can just turn the page and keep going!
That’s all I have for this week, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below! Thank you!
by Kat | Apr 13, 2020 | General, In This Moment
Means a complete “brain dump” – yep, that’s right… today I am dumping out all the things rattling around my brain that I have been trying to remember for “future posts”…
Also, cocktails on Monday need to be a thing when we are back to “normal,” whatever that might be!
First up, the weekend highlights:
Bring all ingredients to a boil. Once boiling turn heat down to simmer covered for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit covered for another 15 minutes. Remove the ginger pieces and pour the pear liquid into a blender. Blend until pears are pureed.
To make the cocktail, add ingredients to an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Pour into a chilled coupe glass and enjoy! (makes 2 substantial cocktails!) I froze the remaining puree in ziploc bags for future cocktails!
Now that the “weekend” is out of the way, let’s begin the brain dump portion of this post!
I saw this somewhere in the Blogisphere last week, sorry I don’t remember where (maybe Kym??) I have read it multiple times and have printed it out and put it in my journal. The words are the perfect reminder of how all this should change us.
SAH Book Bingo is sparking all kinds of excitement in my reading! I love the planning part especially, figuring out what books will work for a square. Need some ideas? Look no further! 500 Page book square? This has some incredible ideas (and I have read lots of them!) Let me know if you need a suggestion or two from this list!
Looking for things to fill mystery squares? Goodreads has compiled an excellent list here! (and again, if you need some suggestions – please ask me!)
NPR’s interactive list is a treasure trove of good things! (and it goes back several years!)
And finally, this poem by Carl Sandburg seems like the perfect thing to end this Monday post with.
If it is raining where you are, I hope you can stay safe and dry!
by Kat | Apr 10, 2020 | General, In This Moment
Another week… another Friday…and joy of joys, it is snowing in Pittsburgh this morning. Yes, that’s right… snow! On all the tender new leaves. On the lilac blooms. On the magnolia blooms. Sigh.
Today is day four of my 100 Day Project and these moments of creatively stitching have been rays of sunshine in my day! You can follow my journey via Instagram, which I think is the perfect platform for sharing my days progress. I am happy that the plan in my head is flowing beautifully into my stitches.
I will begin the first clue of Larissa Brown’s Lunar Fade MKAL later today AND!!! Clue Two of Romi’s MKAL will drop today as well! And tomorrow the final clue of Coopknits Nimue socks will be out so this weekend will be all knitting, all the time!
To avoid any new temptations, I have been **trying** to avoid Ravelry this week. Key word…trying! LOL It seems that it was a “cloudy” week there! Did you see Cloudesley and Cloud Cover? Yeah…they are awesome, and both have been rattling around my head a bit. I also cannot get Mary’s inky navy sweater out of my head and I might have identified a “hole” in my warm weather wardrobe! However, I have not begun looking for any inky navy yarns…yet.
It was a week of lots.of.baking! Yesterday I made these brownies…and yowza, they are so good! And today I am baking my first loaf of sourdough bread! (I have my fingers crossed that it rises!)
If you, like me, are doing all kinds of Zoom get togethers… I found these tips and tricks to be exceedingly helpful!
I listened to an excellent Life Kit this week all about focusing while reading, which has been a huge struggle for me recently!
That’s all I have for this week! Have a good weekend (and Happy Easter, if you celebrate!) See you all back here next week!
by Kat | Apr 9, 2020 | General, In This Moment
I find myself remembering the days of the week by my “blog calendar” and have felt the need to spend more time here, which is not a bad thing. Today I am joining Carole and friends to share three things with you today.
Some years ago, Kym introduced me to National Poetry Month, which, I confess, I did not know existed. I did not read poetry. My maternal grandfather did though – he not only read poetry, he had so many poems memorized! My favorites that he would recite were Trees by Joyce Kilmer, and Fog by Carl Sandburg. I know these poems, but did not really “get” why poetry. That is until Kym. Today I am going to share three things that I hope will draw you into the lovely world of poetry. I have found great comfort in these uncertain and unsettled days in poetry.
Thing One:
I did not know about the Griffin Poetry Prize (there are International and Canadian Winners). The 2020 Shortlist was just announced. I have added several of these to my “poetry wish list.” They also share a poem of the week!
Thing Two:
I just finished reading Susan Stewart’s Columbarium, a lovely little tome of incredibly moving poems. I have read it through three times now and each time I discover something new. But, every time I have read this book Dark the Star has called to me.
Dark The Star
by Susan Stewart
Dark the star
deep in the well,
bright in the still
and moving water,
still as the night
circling above
the circle of stones
the darkness surrounds.
Dark the wish
made on the star,
a true wish made
on the water’s image.
There’s no technique in the grass.
There’s no technique in the rose.
Thing Three:
This is perhaps my favorite poem of all time. I discovered Derek Walcott via Kym’s blog. His poetry is the best discovery ever.
Love After Love
by Derek Walcott
The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other’s welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.
Happy Thursday everyone!
by Kat | Apr 8, 2020 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings Unravelers!
I forgot to share yesterday my temperature chart, but it deserves a mention. One stunning thing I noted… Pittsburgh only had 4 days in the first quarter where the high temperature was in the 20’s.
Let that sink in a minute. Yes, that is right in 3 months, we had just 4 days in the 20’s. Every month had some temperatures in the 60’s and 70’s… yes, January, February, and March had days that got that warm. If I had not been tracking temperatures, I might not believe it.
This week I blocked my Nymphaladia (which is not yet on Ravelry) and wove in the couple of ends. I love the dramatic change from Monday’s photo!
I also began work on the heel turns on my mystery socks! I don’t think there is one single thing in knitting that brings more wonder that the simple process of turning a heel, and suddenly that flat flap begins to take form and a sock is born from a tube and a flap! I was a bit shocked to see that the color matching sock yarns were dramatically off in matching. Yes, one skein had a significant bit less of the green dyed part. So, these will be off-kilter socks but perhaps that is just what I needed to remember this off-kilter time!
It seems I have finally broken through the Reading Dam with gusto! My read’s this week were all noteworthy! Also, in case you missed it Mary is leading us all in SAH Book Bingo which began April 1st! I wonder if I can fill three cards between now and Labor Day? Anyways, Book Bingo is one of my very favorite things and I hope you join us!
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
There has been lots of discussion about this book… and much of it revolved around “don’t read it.” However, I am a Rebel (aka Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies) and being such I felt compelled to read this book. I initially gave this book 4-stars but in thinking about the book for a few days, I really think this is a book deserving of a 5-star rating.
The story’s main characters, Lydia and her son Luca, survive a horrific event and must flee their home in Acapulco. This story revolves around that escape and the people (good and bad) that they meet in their journey.
I was moved by their journey, by their hope, by their determination, and especially by some of the people they interact with. The writing is wonderful – engaging – and it pulled me in from the first sentence. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was excellent.
Look past the hype and the naysayers and read this book! You will be glad you did!
The Unquiet Dead by Ausma Zehanat Khan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Book one in a series always is a bit of a challenge as you figure out the characters, their backgrounds, and how they came to be together. Rachel and Esa have wonderful potential. This story tackles a devastating time in history (the Bosnian War Crimes) and did so incredibly well! I struggled at first to keep things straight, but thankfully reading on the kindle makes remembering details easy. I am eager to read more of this series.
Entering the Passion of Jesus: A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Week by Amy-Jill Levine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I read this book with my small group, and we watched Amy-Jill’s companion video series. If you want someone to give you a remarkable history lesson on Holy Week – this is the series for you! Levine’s insights and knowledge are wonderful. I learned so many things and my book is full of notes. I highly recommend it!
Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by Margaret Renkl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
At first, I did not think I was going to like this book at all, especially when I read a woman belongs in her husband’s church – yikes, that was cringe-worthy for me. But, I pressed on and am I glad I did!
Every day the world is teaching me what I need to know to be in the world. In the stir of too much motion: Hold still. Be quiet. Listen.
YES! I needed this reminder. I also needed to shed solidarity tears with Margaret as she sat in the pediatrician’s office with her newborn baby, tired – exhausted really, with a hungry, crying baby, trying her damnedest to breast feed with mastitis. Thank god for doctors that listen and remove the guilt and free you to be a better parent. “The best mother is a happy mother,” she said. “Give that baby a bottle.” AMEN!!
I loved her bird stories, her childhood stories, her parents stories, and how she looks at life. It is not perfect, but my gosh – it can be so beautiful.
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below!
